I finally realized what my personal motto is:
- You need to get out of my way.
It's a phrase I tend to mutter a lot, particularly on the road but also while waiting in line or getting through a crowd. Yes, it's a quite a conceited world view, but I don't intend it to be threat. Just a realization of a problem and how to go around it. The traditional perception of "You need to get out of my way" is "You need to give up your ground and let me pass." Too confrontational. For me, "You need to get out of my way" is a statement of fact that allows another follow-up question: "Which way can I take so you're not in it?" It's all about expediency.
A friend of mine has a better personal motto, one which applies to potential relationships as informed by her own divorce:
- Keep up.